The Other Sharon
by KittyKait
Summary: Sharon knows she is forgetting something important, but for the life of her she cannot remember what it is. Total mothership feels again, because apparently that's the only thing I know how to write.


**Summary** : Sharon knows she is forgetting something important, but for the life of her she cannot remember what it is.

 **Authors Note:** Prompt for this story was " **I want you to have this** " taken from a list on Tumblr for " **100 ways to say I love you**." This is total mothership feels again, because apparently that's the only thing I know how to write. I do hope you enjoy, but if not,be sure to let me know. Constructive feedback is always welcome.

 **Disclaimer:** Major Crimes is not mine. Probably for the best really…J

 **The Other Sharon**

Sharon lay in her bed with her eyes closed and listened to the rain lashing against her window. It wasn't even 8am and it was a Saturday, so there was no need for her to hurry out of bed this morning. But for some reason, she felt the need to get up early. It was like something important was meant to happen today, but Sharon couldn't quite remember what it was.

Reaching for her phone on the nightstand she flicked open her calendar app, then silently scolded herself for thinking again that she could read it without glasses. Once her glasses were in place, Sharon scanned the date as well as the days either side of it. November 3. Nothing in her diary for that day. Sighing, Sharon put down the phone and although she was confident she'd not missed anything, something still nagged at her.

Throwing back the covers, she decided she may as well get up and start her day. Making her way into the bathroom Sharon noticed the sound of water running in the kitchen. Was Rusty up already? That was certainly unusual for a non-school day. Grabbing her robe from the back of the bathroom door, Sharon shrugged into it and did the tie up tight before heading towards the kitchen. The floor was cold and now she wished she'd remembered to put her slippers on before leaving the bedroom.

"Rusty?"

Rusty jumped at the sound of Sharon's voice and almost dropped the bowl he was holding.

"Sharon, what are you doing up so early?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question." sharon replied. "I'm always up at this time, but I could hardly say the same for you young man." She moved further into the dining area and took a seat at the breakfast bar.

Rusty looked flustered, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't and alarm bells went of inside Sharon's head.

"I couldn't sleep, and I was hungry, and I was cold so, like, I decided to get up and make some breakfast. Did I wake you?" Suddenly Rusty looked worried. "I tried to be quiet, I'm really sorry Sharon…"

"No, Rusty, no, you didn't wake me." Sharon was quick to reassure him, it hadn't been long since the Daniel Dunn fiasco, and although Rusty appeared to have settled in a lot more since then, he seemed constantly on edge, like at any minute she would change her mind and send him away. It broke her heart to see him like that.

"I wanted to go to the mall this morning." Rusty turned away from Sharon and started to rinse his bowl in the sink. "There are a few things I need to get, and I thought maybe…" He trailed off, unsure what it was he was wanting to ask.

"Some things for school?" Sharon questioned. She eyed Rusty carefully, he was fidgeting now and she started to wonder what it was that he was hiding. There was something he wasn't telling he, she just couldn't figure out what it was.

Rusty just nodded in the affirmative and continued washing his now clean bowl.

"I could come with you." Sharon offered.

"No! I mean, no. that's ok. Sharon, I can go by myself, really, you don't have to worry about me." Rusty put his bowl on the sink to dry and came to stand by the counter next to her.

"I'll just take the bus, and really. You don't need to come with me."

Sharon was worried now. There was definitely something he wasn't telling her, but from the pleading look in his eyes, it was clear this was something he wanted to do on his own.

"Do you need any money? I mean if it's school stuff you need then I'm happy to pay for it." Sharon was standing now, suddenly anxious for her morning cup of tea. She manoeuvred her way around Rusty and over to the kettle.

"Thanks, but No. I have money." With that, he turned and made his way back to his bedroom. Way to go Rusty, he thought to himself as he hurried down the hallway. Like, she's not suspicious at all.

...

Rusty hadn't meant to lie to Sharon, he really hadn't, it wasn't his fault that she had just assumed he was buying stuff for school, and like, if he didn't correct her was that still a lie? Rusty suspected that yes, it was, but he really didn't know what else he was meant to say.

He stared out the window of the bus as the rain pelted down against the glass, a perfect backdrop for his current mood.

November 3 was always a big day for Rusty. Sharon Beck was never one to remember her sons birthday, but she was guaranteed never to forget her own. For as far back as Rusty could remember, every year on his mom's birthday they would go to the mall for ice cream, Rusty was allowed to pick the flavour for both of them and they always got a double scoop. It puzzled Rusty at times as to where his mom got the money from, but every year without fail, they had money for ice cream on her birthday. After they ate, Sharon would give her son a ten dollar note and sit on a bench outside a store whilst Rusty went in and brought his mother a present. If he budgeted wisely and there was money left, Rusty was always allowed to keep it.

A sudden wave of sadness overwhelmed him as he recalled the last birthday they had spent together. Double scoop cookie dough ice creams, and Rusty used the $10 from his mother, as well as money he had been saving from mowing Mr Bensons lawn, to buy his mom a watch. He wondered now what had happened to that watch. Did she still have it?

Sadness turned to frustration as Rusty pondered why his mother never remembered his own birthdays. She was like a big kid on her birthday so why didn't she realise his birthday was just as important? After all, he was the kid!

He wandered aimlessly through the mall confused as to what he was supposed to do. Rusty wanted to buy his mother a present, he had been saving up his money to do exactly that and he had thought for sure his mother would be back in time, but now that the day had arrived and she was still nowhere to be seen, Rusty was suddenly unsure. Even if he did buy his mother a present, how would he give it to her?

Rusty had been telling himself this thing with Sharon was only temporary. His mother would be back for him soon and he would go back and live with her again. Sure Sharon had been nice to him, but she wasn't his mother. Rusty felt ungrateful in that moment. Sharon had been more than nice to him, she had taken him in and treated him like her own, and in return he had been nothing but trouble for her. Guilt sure was a heavy burden to bear.

Just at that moment Rusty came to stop outside what looked to be some kind of kitchen shop. He stared through the window at the brightly coloured teacups and matching saucers all lined up on a shelf and he found himself smiling as he thought of Sharon and how much she loved her teacups.

Hunger overtook him then and he quickly moved towards the food court. Rusty was sure a burger, maybe even two, would make him feel better.

Just as he was about to start eating his second burger his phone pinged with a text message. It was from Sharon.

 _Was thinking we could make homemade pizza for dinner tonight. How does that sound?_

 _Sounds good._ Rusty typed back.

Almost instantly Sharon replied. She was getting better at this Rusty thought with a smile.

 _Good, great. Do you have enough money to pick up some toppings? I will pay you back when you get home. Get whatever you like._

 _Sure, see you in a few hours._

Rusty was puzzled, Sharon usually hated homemade pizzas, at least the kind he liked to make anyway. Why was she willingly volunteering for him to pick the toppings?

Rusty spent another hour wandering the mall before he headed to the supermarket to collect what they would need and then he made his way outside to catch the bus home. The rain had stopped and although the sky was still dark and cloudy, he could see a rainbow poking out from behind a building and he smiled to spite himself.

...

Sharon was sitting at the dining table when he got in, making herself busy with something on her laptop. She looked up when she heard him enter.

"How was your afternoon, did you get everything that you needed?"

Rusty shrugged off his coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door before making his way into the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"Not exactly." He mumbled almost inaudibly.

Again Sharon wondered what it was that she was missing, but before she had a chance to ask, Rusty thrust a paper bag into her hands and hopped nervously from foot to foot.

"I wanted you to have this" he stated matter of fact.

Surprised, Sharon looked down at what he had given her. It was a white paper bag with paper handles and inside was a box, neatly wrapped in what looked to be white wrapping paper and tied with a green ribbon.

"Rusty…" Sharon let out a shaky breath. One that she hadn't even realised she was holding.

"it's no big deal Sharon, really."

Only it was a big deal. Rusty was meant to be giving his mother a birthday present today and yet here he was giving a gift to the other Sharon instead.

Sharon carefully unwrapped the box to reveal a delicate white teacup with little pink and green flowers around the edges, the handle was rimed in gold and across the front, in delicate gold script was her name "Sharon"

Rusty turned to move away in an attempt to hide the tears threatening to spill, but Sharon was too quick and she grabbed him by the wrist to stop him from moving.

Suddenly she remembered what it was that she had forgotten and her heart broke. She put the teacup down and circled her other hand around Rusty's wrist so that she was holding his hand in both of hers. She rubbed tiny circles against his wrist, and they stayed in this position for a few moments, Rusty still with his back to her trying desperately not to cry and Sharon trying desperately not to reach out and hold onto him.

After a long moment Sharon could feel Rusty relax and she let go. He moved away almost instantly, wiping his hands across his cheeks to dry the tears that had fallen and then moved towards the kitchen. Suddenly he was very thirsty.

Sharon looked down at the gift that Rusty had given her swallowing hard against the enormous lump in her throat. She had never been a fan of items that bore her name, in fact she almost went out of her way to avoid such things, but as she gazed at this particular teacup it occurred to her that it was one of the nicest gifts she had ever received. Rusty might not have been able to give his mother a birthday present today, but that he had thought enough of her to get Sharon one instead meant the world to her and this particular teacup she would treasure, almost as much as the boy that had given it to her. With that Sharon opened the birthday app on her phone, and under November 3 she typed "Rusty's Mom"


End file.
